


ace's last letter

by nakayuz



Category: One Piece
Genre: Dead Portgas D. Ace, Letters, Mentioned Portgas D. Ace, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates As Family, Protective Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nakayuz/pseuds/nakayuz
Summary: ace sends birthday letters to luffy every year.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy & Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace
Comments: 13
Kudos: 126





	ace's last letter

**Author's Note:**

> a VEEERY old one, i debated posting this many times but after reviewing it for the millionth time over these months, i decided it was good enough. someday i'll right ace's view too >> enjoy...!

“luffy, this came for you.”

nami’s entrance in the sunny’s kitchen brings an envelope in hand, slightly charred at its corners, and sealed with a red wax- its design is clearly a thumbprint.

luffy jumps from the table and stretches his arms to snatch it from her hands. “it came early!” he yells, and immediately tears it open.

she sits at the kitchen table with the rest of their nakama, all waiting for the cook to finish lunch. “what is it...?” nami says.

they watch as he pulls out a paper as charred as the envelope, dirty and wrinkled, and drops the envelop. his eyes scan it quickly. “ace sends me birthday letters! i guess he sent it early this year. but...” he smiles sheepishly and hands it out to nami, “i can’t read.”

“how were you able to read the previous ones, then?” usopp asks.

“ace started to send them when he left our home, so i just got makino to read them to me. this is the first one since i’ve left!” he starts to bounce in his seat as he watches nami read over it quickly. “i’m glad my nakama can read!”

a couple of said nakama coughed a little bit. there was only a few who could actually do so, but they weren’t going to admit it to their captain.

“are you sure you want me to read this out loud to everyone?” nami says, looking back at luffy then glancing at the rest.

“it’s fine! now, what does it say?!”

nami rubs the nape of her neck and sighs. “ _dear luffy_ ,” she starts, “ _when this letter gets to you, it’s sure to be a lot earlier than expected. i meant to do so. i decided to send this out before i left my ship, so maybe we managed to meet before you get this_.”

“before he left his ship?” sanji says from the kitchen. “we met him in alabasta. didn’t he say he was looking for someone?”

“maybe he knew he wouldn’t be able to send it out at sea.” robin says.

nami starts again. “ _well, happy birthday! i know you don’t have those bandits with you to celebrate this year, but i’m sure whoever you have as your nakama will throw a much better party. actually, dadan and them never threw parties, they were more like funerals_.”

luffy laughs.

“ _i’m not sure how long i will be gone from whitebeard’s ship. i’ll fill you in, though. a man named teach who was under me killed one of his own nakama, so i am taking responsibility and tracking him down to finish him off._

“ _i’ll be traveling alone. i’ve been told by all of them to just leave it alone, but i can’t. if this takes longer than expected, i’m sure you’ll understand if you won’t get a letter next year, right?_

“ _anyways, luffy, i hope your birthday is fun. don’t eat too much. keep yourself, safe, too. as great as it is to have a bounty, it won’t be long before every turn you take there’s a barrier._

“ _there’s no point in dwelling on it, though! remember why you’re on the seas. i like to remember sabo, all the things he’s said to me, and what he wanted, too. we’ll make him proud, okay?_

“ _we’ll meet again_ ,” nami hesitates for a moment, looking up to meet the eyes of her captain. “ _ace._ ”

luffy smiles and reaches for the letter again. “thanks, nami.” he folds it gently and slips it back into the envelope.

“ace is such a nice brother...” zoro mumbles.

“he’s left your home earlier since he’s older right? so, how long has he been doing these letters?” usopp looks up from tweaking nami’s weapon.

“this is my fourth one.” luffy says. “the other three are with the people who raised me. i asked them to keep them all there for me. now i have to find a place to put this one.”

“we could always keep it in our log, between the pages. it’ll be safe there.” robin rests her chin in her hand.

“that’s a good idea.” nami gives robin a smile, then looks back at luffy. “give it to me, and i’ll go and put it in there. the book never leaves our room.”

nami reaches out for the letter, but luffy draws back. “i can read it whenever?”

nami sighs. “yes, you can get me or robin.” she glances around the room. “maybe sanji-kun.”

luffy smiles and gives her the letter. “good! thank you!”

...

“nami,” luffy’s voice breaks the quiet in the sunny’s kitchen, and the present crew mates don’t look up, but rather listen. nami looks up from eating a mikan dessert the cook had prepared, caught off guard.

“hm?” she hums. nami watches luffy dig around in his pocket, she picks up on how his movements are slow and almost hesitant. “what’s up?”

luffy pulls out a folded wrinkled envelope, clearly aged and worn. her eyes widen and it catches the eye of everyone in the room. there’s a silence, everyone watching as luffy carefully unfolds and stares down at it.

“this...” he finally says after swallowing hard, “was the last letter from ace. do you guys remember the last one?”

there isn’t a verbal response, but those who were there nod quietly. luffy then tears the envelope open and pulls the letter out, staring at it.

“i got it not too long after the war.” he says. “rayleigh handed it to me, but i never asked him to read it for me. i waited for you guys. so i’ve kept it with me.” luffy looks up and reaches over the table, holding it out to nami. “could you read it?”

nami stares at it. “luffy, i...” she knows the message must be personal, and with this many present... why did she have to read it? she glances over at robin, who doesn’t give a response. “i don’t think i can read this.”

“i need to hear it, nami.” he says.

nami takes a deep breath, meeting the eyes of everyone, then takes the letter. the writing is messy and barely legible, mainly due to the paper’s condition. it’s cheap and thin, full of stains that look like blood and tears. just holding it between her fingers makes her stomach drop, her eyes scan over the words. “...okay.” the room is silent as she begins.

“... _dear luffy_ ,” she reads, “ _i don’t know when you’ll be getting this, or if you’ll be getting this at all. you can never trust the navy’s promises._

“ _right now, i’m in impel down. i’ve been sentenced to an execution- i’m glad you haven’t found out yet. i know by the time you get this, i’ll-_ “nami stops.

“it’s okay, nami-san.” sanji says from the side, and she looks over to him, lip quivering, then back at luffy, who’s hat is over his eyes as he stares at the ground.

she breathes. “ _i know by the time you get this, i’ll most likely be... dead. i don’t know what whitebeard will do, nor do i wish to know._

“ _they asked me what my final wish was. i was confused at first, but i guess it might be a policy of some sort to give execution prisoners a wish. so, i asked to write a letter to you._

“ _all my letters to you have been wishing you a happy birthday, so i’ll do if for this one, too._

“ _happy birthday, luffy. happy birthday for next year, too, and the year after that, and every year that you live. even if i’m not here to wish it personally._

_“i’m sorry to have left you behind like sabo did. i’m sure i’ll get to see him soon. i’ll tell him what you’ve done- i hear you took down another shichibukai? you’re an idiot, is what i’ll tell him._

“ _another thing, too. if i really do die, then, i guess i should thank you. for everything._ ” nami’s eyes glance over some tear stains, the ink blurring. her own eyes sting. “ _you and sabo were my will to live. the only people who have ever loved me were you two, and my father, whitebeard. so, thank you, luffy._

“ _there’s not much more i can say. keep going. don’t give up. we’ll be with you, always. keep your nakama close, i know they’ll help you get through this._ ” nami stops as she hears a sob from luffy. “should i really keep reading...?” she says, watching the way luffy shakes gently, still staring at the ground.

“keep reading, nami.” usopp says.

she bites her lip and looks back at the letter. “okay...” her eyes scans it once more. “ _if you see dadan, or any of those old bandits again, tell them my regards, okay? same for makino. make sure to visit sabo’s grave, too. i’m sure you remember where it is._

“ _this is the last letter you’ll get, so don’t lose it. i’m relying on your nakama to keep you safe. tell them that._

“ _i hope i don’t see you up here anytime soon. i hope you don’t come for me. live on, luffy._ ” nami pauses and sets the letter on the table. “ _ace._ ”

no one speaks, the only sound in the kitchen is luffy’s sobbing. his hands go up to wipe at his tears. he’s clearly trying his best to pull it away, and most of the crew mates are speechless.

chopper hops from his seat and walks over to luffy, jumping up into his lap and hugging him. luffy’s breath hitches confused at the sudden action.

the next person up is sanji, then usopp, then robin... franky, in tears... brook, zoro... nami gets up from her seat last and joins the group hug. everyone doesn’t say a word, but does their best to comfort their captain, who’s crying grows for only a second, then calms back down again.

there’s an unspoken agreement between the eight as they all glance at each other, arms wrapped around each other, some with tears in their eyes. to let ace rest easy as they take on the role of protecting him, and to give their captain the support and love he needed and deserved. even if they failed at that during their two year separation, they sure as hell weren’t going to let it happen again.

“thank you, guys.” luffy says, sniffling and wiping at his face for the last time, and everyone lets go. “i’m glad to have you all back.”


End file.
